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When did cars get electric lights?
I know that the mainstream electric cars we have today are a relatively new invention, but what about the other electrical components in cars? When did cars get electric lights?
Allison Stone · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Good question. Car history is so interesting, and the use of electrical components in cars has been happening for longer than you’d expect—way before most people had electricity in their homes!
Almost since the first gas-engine powered vehicle was made, there have been electric lights in cars. In 1886, the first patent for a “vehicle powered by gas engine” was filed by Carl Benz, and just 12 years later in 1898, the first electric headlamps were introduced on the Columbia Electric car from the Electric Vehicle Company of Hartford, Connecticut.
It wasn’t until almost 20 years later, however, that electric vehicles began being required on cars. In 1915, Massachusetts became the first state to make electric headlamps mandatory on all motor vehicles.
New technology in cars is often developed to make the driving experience easier and more enjoyable for car owners. In a similar vein, the
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